Mile Posts is a running blog by Dorothy Beal. From how to train for your first 5K to funny memes on how to laugh your way through marathon training. Mile Posts is your go to place for all things running!

16

Sep 2010

When Life Gets In The Way of Running – Part 1

September 16, 2010

I’ve literally been apprehensive about what this September was going to bring for the entire summer.

My whirlwind month began the first of September. Chloe turned 4 on the 7th and was unrelentless in her desire for a birthday party. No one wants to break the heart of a soon to be 4 year old so I gave in and threw her a little shin-dig with her best friends on the 1st.

When Chloe was first born there were only three other babies in our little play group – a boy who was much older and two little girls born the same year. Play dates and birthday parties were easy then. Fast forward four years and our little group of babies are no longer babies and it’s no longer little – at last count there are over twenty kids. This pretty much makes it impossible to get everyone together at once, let alone include family in the process. So birthday mini party #2 was on the books for Friday the 3rd. My mom, sister, and grandmother came over to help Chloe ring in another year over tea – then we met up with my dad, his wife, my brother, and my other sister at a BBQ at Chloe’s new school!

Yes I said school – not only was her birthday week an event because of her birthday, but also because it was the beginning of school for her.

My husband took pity on me on Saturday and took both Chloe and Miles to a friends Labor Day BBQ alone. I knew I would miss hanging out and seeing everyone, but free childless time is hard to come by these days – so I knew I would appreciate that more. I wish I could say I went shopping, or sat on my butt watching a movie – I didn’t. I cleaned pretty much the entire time they were gone.

Laundry has become an event these days. I make piles, the kids laugh while destroying them – my blood pressure goes up – I get angry. To be able to fold piles alone, knowing they would stay folded sort of seemed like a treat.

Sunday began what I can only describe as the LONGEST week of my life. I don’t normally delve into my personal life that much, preferring mostly to stick to topics that some how relate to running. But here I am writing about my life – hoping that putting it in words will help me move past this craziness and get back to some semblance of consistent running and hopefully resume normal life semi soon.

My husband, who attended and played football at Virginia Tech, had two college buddies in town to go to the Tech game. Sunday all of the *guys* woke up early to play golf, then quickly rushed over to MR PIC’s house where her husband hosts what can only be described as the *draft to end all drafts* of fantasy football. All in all we saw Eric for about 15 minutes that day. Monday morning he seemed in a fog, and was needless to say very tired – we decided to leave the house early to give him some time for much needed rest before he caught the *keg bus* to FedEx field to watch the game. Yes, I said Keg Bus. This mean you pretty much understand how my next day was spent. Eric was hung over and I was tired.

Tuesday was Chloe’s *real* birthday. She had an orientation at her school, so off we went to try to quell some of her fears before the big day. The day was long, needless to say.

Wednesday the alarm went off at 6 am. 6 am is certainly not early in my book. When not pregnant I commonly wake up in the 4’s to go for my long runs on Saturday. Now 30+ weeks pregnant I still wake up in the 5’s to get dressed and get in some miles before the group runs on Saturdays. 6am however IS early when you are getting up to make a lunch, get two kids dressed, and get in the car to head to school in horrible RUSH HOUR traffic.

Chloe’s 1st day began at 8am. I had the forethought to wear my running clothes and put the single running stroller in the car. Miles and I headed to the W&OD for what I thought would be a glorious run with only one kid. While getting Miles out of the car he knocked my water bottle to the ground – it shattered. I managed to save about 1/2 the water and found another empty bottle to dump it in.

Next drama happened when I had to use the port-o-potty prior to starting the run. It was literally the most disgusting one I’ve ever used and I’ve used allot. With no toilet paper in sight I had to make a sacrifice and give up a small article of clothing. ARG. I still did not let it deter me. I was going to run and it was going to be good. Mile 1 began and I knew that today was just not my day. I didn’t break an 11 minute mile for the first mile despite feeling like I was pushing it. I stopped, stretched and headed back. The mile was a little bit better at around a 10:30 pace, but it was also more downhill – so I’m assuming I was running about the same as I was on the way out. Run = Fail. At least I got to run right? Two less than great miles are better than nothing.

Mile 1 – 11:06Mile 2 – 10:21

On Chloe’s 3rd day of school I met up with my mom and our best friend Ashley at the W&OD. I was apprehensive about meeting them because they are rock stars when it comes to running and clearly I am not a rock star these days. In total we ran/walked a little over 8 miles. I’m thankful that they didn’t mind walking – both assured me it was about being together than it was about the pace of the miles. I loved being with them, but it made me sad. Sad because in the past month I have not only found out that Ashley and her family will be leaving me at the end of October for the great state of Ohio, but that my mom, who I thought was not moving till December, is moving to Boston in less than a month. I’m loosing my best friend and my mom all in the same month – right before I have my 3rd child.

In trying to find the positive…..I will say that I’m really excited that Ashley’s new house is basically on the Columbus Marathon course. I’ve never run it but it’s where my mom set her 3:38 marathon PR – so I definitely plan on running it. It means I will have a place to stay when I do run it and maybe just maybe I can convince Ashley to run another marathon with me, so we can do it together!

My mom on the other hand will be moving to Wesley, MA, which as most of you know is on the Boston Marathon course. If I had to have two of the people I love most in this world move, I guess I’m happy to say that they are moving to two pretty cool places!

While Ashley, my mom and I were all out running hubby was having surgery on his knee for a torn ACL and torn meniscus………..

……….to be continued 😉

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Comments

Oy vey! Quite a whirlwind week for you and such an emotional roller coaster. I'm sure it's hard to think about losing your mom and friend, especially with baby #3 on the way. Keep your chin up and think about running Columbus and Boston with them next year!

holy heck..that made me tired reading! I am sorry your mom and ashley are moving away. At least they are cool places to visit. I can't believe you get up at 6 and still pregnant. I can't even do that and I am not!!

Wow that is some week, you have a very positive attitude about it too, it's as impressive as your running! Love the blog, found you through RLAM and loved your article! I see you've done a Ragnar, done 2 myself, so much fun! Be well!